Project Description
Adaptive Reuse / Grand
With this 99-unit adaptive reuse project, David Hacin, FAIA, set out to announce the rebirth of an entire neighborhood. Located in Boston’s historic Fort Point district, the building combines two turn-of-the-century woolen warehouse façades, a compatible, contemporary infill façade, and three new boldly modern floors that step back from the roof’s cornice line. “It was necessary to add square footage to make it [economically] viable, but we also wanted you to recognize that something had changed here,” explains Hacin, who designed the copper-clad upper floors to be more visible from a distance than from nearby.
“The new section fits with the restored buildings, but it doesn’t copy them,” said one judge. “It’s respectful, and super skillful.” The jury was equally impressed with the building’s interiors, calling them “clean, and really consistent with the rest of the project. The architects solved a complicated problem really, really well.” —Bruce D. Snider